You Can Do Better

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

Consider your goals and the roles you play. Now honestly ask yourself whether or not you are doing your very best in all these areas of your life.

With the right kind of knowledge and help you can do better than you are at this very moment. Although if on the other hand you feel as though you’re not doing your very best, then this indicates that you have untapped potential and room to grow within specific areas of your life.

We can remain mired in excuses — that we’re busy, teetering on the overwhelmed— or we can choose to stretch ourselves and embrace our full capability. We can rise to the challenge. We can lean in to our work with greater intensity. In fact, we have a choice how we react to each and every circumstance.

Just as we can’t allow ourselves to drift into the path of least resistance, just as we must continually challenge ourselves to transcend complacence and reach for excellence — so too must we ask the same of our colleagues, employees, and peers. We owe it to people to respectfully set high standards and hold them accountable.

Setting the bar ever-higher is not a way of tightening a noose, but rather it is a way of saying, “I believe in you. I have faith in your ability to accomplish great things.” And if you support the expectation with an earnest offer to help them contribute meaningfully, then you can begin to build an enduring high-performance relationship.

Summing-up: Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. You can do better.